Car-coupling



(No Model.) "2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. W. SMILLIE.

OAR COUPLING.

No. 361,460. Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

lNVENTOR:-

George LU N4 PETERS, Fmum-Limu n her, Waahi hh h c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. W. SMILLIE.

GAR COUPLING.v

No. 361,460. F Patented Apr. 19; 1887.

INVENTOR I (71301706 LUaS'InLI/Zic BY a- M ATTYS.

lUNiTED STATE PATENT OFF-Ion.

GEORGE W. SMILLIE, OF NE\VARK, NEW JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,460, dated April 19, 1887.

(No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SMILLIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more especially to uncoupling mechanism adapted to be employed in connection with that class of car-couplings illustrated in Patent No. 301,633, of July 8,

1884, and to certain improvements in the draw-head therein shown.

Ths object of the invention is to withdraw the pin readily from the draw-head without .the necessity of the brakeman or employ entering between the cars, and thus being subjected to the danger involved in that act; to allow the pin to drop automatically into its holding relation to or with the link without necessarily drawing down the lever or its attachments; to prevent said attachments from being kinked or accidentally caught in "such a manner as to prevent a free operation of the parts; to provide for the ready repair ,of the drawhead; to reduce the cost of coupling, and to render the samemore durable and otherwise more efficient.

Referring to, the accompanying drawings, embodied in two sheets, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation 9is a detail view of portions of the rod for working the coupling from the top'of the car; and Fig. 10 is a detail view of a coupling-link.

In said drawings, A indicates a car to which the coupling may be attached; ']3, a draw-head preferably provided with a flaring head and other details of construction described in the patent above mentioned; and O is a lever fulcrumed on the face of said car, and having an attachment to the coupling'pin D by means of a link, E, or a series of links of peculiar construction,whereby said pin may be raised from its holdingposition when the lever is turned upward. Said lever is provided at a point back of the coupling-pin with an arm or arms, F, which extend outward from the face of the car to a point in or about a vertical line with the said pin, where it is provided with the above-described link or links E, which connect with the pin. The said arm of the lever is limited in its upward or uncoupling movement by a stop or limitingcprojection or projections H, which prevent the pin from moving much farther upward than to bring the lower end of the pin to the top of the spring-actuated plungerl in the draw-head, to allow the said plunger to pass thereunder and provide a seat for the said pin. The head of the pin is slotted or has an aperture or eye therein larger than the thickness of the link E, so that said link is allowed considerable vertical play in the said slot, aperture, or eye.

WVhen the arm is raised to its highest position, it stands away from the car on an incline,

.as indicated in Fig. 8, so that when the pin has been lifted to rest on the plunger and the upward pressure is removed from the lever the weight of the arm will cause the said arm to drop automatically and cause the lower cross-bar. ll, of the link E, which passes through the slot in the pin, to pass to the lower end of the said slot, so that when the plunger is repressed by the coupling-link W the pin is free to drop by gravity to engage said link without causing the lever to drop also. By this arrangement the action of the pin is made more certain. The joint between the said lever-arm and the link is such as that the latter cannot move laterally to any material extent.

The pin D and link E are preferably made flat at their engaging surfaces, and by these means thejointed parts between the pin and lever are prevented from kinking accidentally, and thus preventing a perfect operation.

The fulcrum-bearings C C O for the lever ICO are of any suitable construction, but I prefer the construction illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, said bearings being simple eyes secured to the car by bolts or other suitable fasteners at the handles J J of the lever and on each side of the arm F, as shown in Fig. 1. One of these hearings at the handles 0 is preferably provided with a projection, K, upon which one of the handles may rest when it is desired to hold the pin in a raised position, so that itwill not drop when the plunger is repressed. 3y turning the lever upward and pushing or pulling it longitudinally or laterally with respect to the car the handle is caused to pass over and upon said projection K, and the lever is thus prevented from turning downward and allowing the pin to drop into its holding position. The lever-handle is held on the projection K because of the stress caused by limiting the upward movement of the pin, so that it is necessary to strain somewhat to bring the said lever-handle upon said projection.

To hold the link E so that its movement on the arm F will be positive, I prefer to connect the two parts by means of a pivotal pin, V.

To operate the lever from the top ot the ear, I haveprovided a handled bar or rod, L, which is preferably linked to the lever at the arm F.

By pulling upward on the rod L the pin is drawn to allow the plunger to move forward beneath the end of the pin. To hold the pin from the top of the car so that it will notfall when the plunger is repressed, I have formed in the rod a notch, M, or projection N, in or on the rod, which engages when the rod is raised a suitable catch, preferably the loop 0, which provides bearing for the rod to slide in. The top of the projection on the rod is formed on a downward incline, so that as the rod is raised in uncoupling it will not strike on the co-operating holding catch or loop 0, but will ride under the same, as will be understood.

The bar L is linked to the arm, as before described, so that as the lever is raised from the ground by means of the handle J J the said rod will not rise to the point of catching on the loop or catch 0, and thus being accidentally held at said point, and renderingit neccssary for an employe to climb to the top of the car to release the same, the link for allowing the play of parts being marked G.

The pin is provided, on the front thereof, with a pintle or projection, P, which works in a slot or groove, Q, in the pin-perforation R, as shown in Fig. 2. Said projection prevents the withdrawal of the pin from the drawhead. Being placed on front of the pin, or on the side toward the incoming couplinglink, it is prevented from catching on the coupling-link after the coupling operation, and when the pin is withdrawn the uncoupling operation is thus rendered more perfect and certain.

The draw-head is of peculiar construction, whereby the plunger may be more readily removed from its chamber should the same be desired for any reason. Said draw-head is provided with a suitable hearing, as S, 011 the interior thereof, for the rear end of said plunger and the spring. Just behind and below the same is formed an opening, T, through which a fastener or key, U, may be drawn, the opening being in vertical line with said key and key-perforation in the plunger.

I am aware that a slotted pin having an arm of a lever pass therethrough has been provided in a ear-coupling". By this eonstruetionasliding movementbetween the parts results, which is quite different from that of the parts herein described, and by said construction the same positive yet free action cannot be attained.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The improved cou 'ilingherein described, which consists, essentially, of a suitable drawhead and plunger, a slotted pin, a lever provided with an arm, and a link to connect said arm with said slotted pin and prevent lateral movement, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with aslotted pin of a carcoupling, a lever provided with an arm, and a link having a positive pivotal movement on said arm and a vertical movement in the slot of said pin, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination, in acar-coupling, alever, 0, provided with handles J J at its opposite ends and an arm, F, at about the center, a link pivotal on said arm, and a slotted pin adapted to cooperate with the drawhead to hold the coupling-link, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

4. In combination with the draw-head having a link-perforation and a pintlegroove, a pin provided on the forward face thereof, with a pintle for limiting the upward movement of said pin, said pin being thus adapted to couple the said coupling-link without the danger of the pintle catching thereon, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In con'ibination with the lever provided with an arm, F, a handled bar, I provided with a catching projection, N, and a link, as G, connecting said arm F with said bar and adapted to allow a vertical movement of the said bar without moving the said lever, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

(5. In combination with the draw-head B, having the bearing S and opening T, a plunger, I, and key U, said key being disposed in said plunger above said opening, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of February, 1887.

GEO. \V. SHIT/LIE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. FELL, OSCAR A. l\[ICHEL. 

